WESTERN MIDGET RACING TRIPLE CROWN RACES TO JOHNNY KEY CLASSIC IN WATSONVILLE
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 1, 2024) – The second weekend of the inaugural Western Midget Racing Triple Crown hits the dirt at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Friday August 9 and Saturday August 10 for the 64th Johnny Key Classic. WMR racers will compete for $500 to win Friday’s feature and $1200 to win / $150 to start on Saturday. Photo by Top Dawg Photos
Both nights of the Johnny Key Classic feature the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. Friday racing also includes Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers. Saturday will be a three-division bill of Ocean Sprints, Western Midget Racing, and Hobby Stocks. For more information, visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Top finishers in Friday night’s race will lock into the fast heat for Saturday’s action, with the second heat race setting the grid behind them. A field over 16 cars will lock in the top-eight from Friday while a field under 16 cars will lock in the top-six from Friday. Friday’s feature is a 20-lap contest while Saturday is scheduled for 25-laps.
The opening Triple Crown weekend came over July 12 and 13 with the 14th Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway. 2023 Western Midget Racing champion Bryant Bell of Oakley, Calif. executed a perfect weekend with a pair of victories and a seizing of the overall series points lead. Bell has ridden that hot streak to a sweep of last weekend’s races at Ocean and Antioch as well, giving the driver of the Boscacci Racing No. 09 Spike Chassis plenty of momentum heading into the Johnny Key.
In addition to the strong race purses, the Triple Crown points fund pays $1000 to win, $750 for second, and $500 for third. Finishes of second and third during the HK Classic place Payette, ID’s Teddy Bivert into second in the Triple Crown championship. Bell’s Boscacci Racing teammate Anthony Bruno of San Jose scored finishes of fifth and second to rank third. Jerry Kobza’s pair of fourth place runs and performances of sixth and fifth for Todd Hawse give them fourth and fifth in the Triple Crown standings.
The 2024 Triple Crown then concludes on October 25 and 26 for the So-Cal Shootout, with Friday’s action at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track as part of the famed October Classic event with NARC 410 Sprint Cars also competing. Both the Triple Crown and the 2024 WMR championship wrap up with their finale on Saturday October 26 at Ventura Raceway.
In the 2024 overall Western Midget Racing championship battle, Bell leads Santa Cruz’s Logan Mitchell, Bruno, Las Vegas’ Kyle Hawse, and Santa Clarita’s Adam Weisberg.
The 2024 Western Midget Racing Triple Crown is brought to you by Sunland Wood Products, Mead Performance, Extreme Mufflers, Pasillas Tire, West Evans Motorsports, Lance Pierovich, and Hoosier Tire West.
For more information visit www.WesternMidgetRacing.com
2024 WMR Schedule – Subject to Change
March 16 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Anthony Bruno
March 29 Ocean Speedway – RAIN OUT
March 30 Marysville Raceway – RAIN OUT
April 20 Bakersfield Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 4 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
May 17 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 18 Petaluma Speedway w/ BCRA Tom Manning Memorial – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
June 7 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 8 Petaluma Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 22 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
July 12 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic** – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 13 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic** – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 26 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 27 Antioch Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
August 9 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic**
August 10 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic**
September 21 Bakersfield Speedway
October 25 Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway October Classic**
October 26 Ventura Raceway**
** indicates Triple Crown event
